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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
I have been totally loving reading books in a series back to back. This is the summer of the binge read for me. So I decided to do that with books one and two in the Witch's Child series. So this is a combined review for books one and two in the Witch's Child series by Catherine Egan.
The first two books in the Witch's Child Series by Catherine Egan are Julia Vanishes and Julia Defiant. The books got a beautiful new cover change for the release of the second book. While I really liked the original covers, I love the new covers. I am a big fan of the cover change and now I want to get both books with matching new covers. #BookBloggerProblems lol The Witch's Child series is a really interesting one for me, because it is one of the few series that I ended up liking the second book way, way more than I liked the first book.
I found the first book, Julia Vanishes to be an interesting read, but I found it to be kind of confusing in a lot of places and kind of slow at the beginning. The book picked up a bit as it went on, but it was only an ok read for me. That was not the case at all with the second book. I really enjoyed Julia Defiant. The book takes place in a different location than the first book, which I thought was really interesting. I don't know of too many series that do that, but because of the new location, and some new characters, the whole book felt different to me. Even the writing felt fresh and different.
To be honest, I think Catherine Egan stepped up her game with Julia Defiant...big time. I liked everything about Julia Defiant so much more than the first book. I liked the writing, the setting, and it was less confusing for me because I already had some concept of the world and what kind of witches they were. But there is still so much mystery surrounding the characters that I was continually interested in their adventure. The plot and pacing also felt faster and more exciting in Julia Defiant. You do need to read these books in order, and in Julia Defiant our group of characters sets out to find someone. (I don't want to give too much away.) I really enjoyed the world in created in the witch's child series. You aren't told much, you have to piece together the magic system and who all the players are. That was the tricky, and fun, part of the first book. In this world, most witches cast their spells by writing them down, which I thought was a really cool take on a witch's powers. And witch's are persecuted heavily in this world, so they are all in hiding.
Fans of stories featuring witches and fans of European adventure stories that have a historical feel to them will really enjoy these atmospheric books. They are plot driven novels, and I have to say the second book was really really great. If you read Julia Vanishes, and you didn't fall in love with it, I would really urge you to continue on in the series because I found Julia Defiant to be a better overall story than the first book. I enjoyed it a lot!
blue3.5
Note on the rating: I gave Julia Vanishes 3 stars and Julia defiant 4 stars, which combined is a series rating of 3.5, so far. :)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
I have been totally loving reading books in a series back to back. This is the summer of the binge read for me. So I decided to do that with books one and two in the Witch's Child series. So this is a combined review for books one and two in the Witch's Child series by Catherine Egan.
The first two books in the Witch's Child Series by Catherine Egan are Julia Vanishes and Julia Defiant. The books got a beautiful new cover change for the release of the second book. While I really liked the original covers, I love the new covers. I am a big fan of the cover change and now I want to get both books with matching new covers. #BookBloggerProblems lol The Witch's Child series is a really interesting one for me, because it is one of the few series that I ended up liking the second book way, way more than I liked the first book.
I found the first book, Julia Vanishes to be an interesting read, but I found it to be kind of confusing in a lot of places and kind of slow at the beginning. The book picked up a bit as it went on, but it was only an ok read for me. That was not the case at all with the second book. I really enjoyed Julia Defiant. The book takes place in a different location than the first book, which I thought was really interesting. I don't know of too many series that do that, but because of the new location, and some new characters, the whole book felt different to me. Even the writing felt fresh and different.
To be honest, I think Catherine Egan stepped up her game with Julia Defiant...big time. I liked everything about Julia Defiant so much more than the first book. I liked the writing, the setting, and it was less confusing for me because I already had some concept of the world and what kind of witches they were. But there is still so much mystery surrounding the characters that I was continually interested in their adventure. The plot and pacing also felt faster and more exciting in Julia Defiant. You do need to read these books in order, and in Julia Defiant our group of characters sets out to find someone. (I don't want to give too much away.) I really enjoyed the world in created in the witch's child series. You aren't told much, you have to piece together the magic system and who all the players are. That was the tricky, and fun, part of the first book. In this world, most witches cast their spells by writing them down, which I thought was a really cool take on a witch's powers. And witch's are persecuted heavily in this world, so they are all in hiding.
Fans of stories featuring witches and fans of European adventure stories that have a historical feel to them will really enjoy these atmospheric books. They are plot driven novels, and I have to say the second book was really really great. If you read Julia Vanishes, and you didn't fall in love with it, I would really urge you to continue on in the series because I found Julia Defiant to be a better overall story than the first book. I enjoyed it a lot!
blue3.5
Note on the rating: I gave Julia Vanishes 3 stars and Julia defiant 4 stars, which combined is a series rating of 3.5, so far. :)
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Plains of Sand and Steel is the second book in the Uncommon World series by Alisha Klapheke, but the novel is a companion novel, and not a direct sequel so the book can be read without having read the first book in the series, Waters of Salt and Sin first. I really, really enjoyed Plains of Sand and Steel, but I have not read book one yet, which I now need to rectify immediately! This book was so, so much fun! And I really love the covers for the series. Aren't they super pretty?
Plains of Sand and Steel is everything I love about young adult fantasy books. First off, it is described as " The Wrath and the Dawn meets Truthwitch in the second standalone, full length novel of the Uncommon World series." Umm, yes please!!! It has an awesome world, awesome characters and plenty of politics to keep me turning the pages just as fast as my eyes would read them. I was honestly super bummed that I didn't read the first book first. Not because I was lost, because I wasn't. Plains of Sand and Steel really can be read as a standalone. But because I loved this book so much that I wanted to read them all in order. I cannot wait to devour every single book that Alisha Klapheke has written because I can tell that her writing style matches my reading style to a tee.
Plains of Sand and Steel has Seren as the main character. I loved Seren. She really needs to step up almost immediately and made some hard choices. But she never backed down, which is what I loved about her the most. I also loved Ona and Lucca, and a bunch of the other characters. They all felt so real to me. Everything about this novel felt real to me. The scenes jumped from the pages and played out right before my very eyes, which is not an easy feat. But Alisha made it seem effortless.
Bottom line: fans of YA fantasy need to add this book to your TBR list. It is so so great and so worth the read. the books can be read in any order, but do yourself a favor and pick up all of them so you don't miss out on any of the great action. I love the world that Alisha has created in the Uncommon World series, and if you are anything like me you are going to want to read all of the books in this series. Plains of Sand and Steel is excellent. Period. The end.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Plains of Sand and Steel is everything I love about young adult fantasy books. First off, it is described as " The Wrath and the Dawn meets Truthwitch in the second standalone, full length novel of the Uncommon World series." Umm, yes please!!! It has an awesome world, awesome characters and plenty of politics to keep me turning the pages just as fast as my eyes would read them. I was honestly super bummed that I didn't read the first book first. Not because I was lost, because I wasn't. Plains of Sand and Steel really can be read as a standalone. But because I loved this book so much that I wanted to read them all in order. I cannot wait to devour every single book that Alisha Klapheke has written because I can tell that her writing style matches my reading style to a tee.
Plains of Sand and Steel has Seren as the main character. I loved Seren. She really needs to step up almost immediately and made some hard choices. But she never backed down, which is what I loved about her the most. I also loved Ona and Lucca, and a bunch of the other characters. They all felt so real to me. Everything about this novel felt real to me. The scenes jumped from the pages and played out right before my very eyes, which is not an easy feat. But Alisha made it seem effortless.
Bottom line: fans of YA fantasy need to add this book to your TBR list. It is so so great and so worth the read. the books can be read in any order, but do yourself a favor and pick up all of them so you don't miss out on any of the great action. I love the world that Alisha has created in the Uncommon World series, and if you are anything like me you are going to want to read all of the books in this series. Plains of Sand and Steel is excellent. Period. The end.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is a young adult contemporary romance by Ingrid Paulson. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane felt kind of like 10 Things I hate about you, which is a movie that I love. It was a really fun read, and I would love to see more from these characters. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is a standalone novel, but I really want to see a second book, maybe when Harper and Sterling are in college. That would be a lot of fun.
Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is the story of Harper and Sterling. It is told from Harper's point of view. Harper lives her life by a crazy, and rigid set of rules. Sterling Lane comes blowing into her life and throws all of her rules into chaos. I got a total kick out of Harper and Sterling. They were so similar it was kind of scary. I liked that they recognized that in one another as well. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Sterling turns to Harper after she just executed her revenge prank, and instead of getting mad he said, well I'm surprised. I had no idea we would be friends. It just cracked me up because they totally loved riling each other up, and watching them admit that to themselves was great.
There were a couple of things that irked me about the book. The first was the cover model. I love the cover of Why I Loathe Sterling Lane, but the young lady did not match the description of Harper and that bugged me. Harper is supposed to have very short choppy dark hair and green eyes. The girl on the cover has medium brown long and brown eyes. I just wished the cover artist did a better job matching, but other than that the cover is beautiful. It is very much a style that I love. The second thing was as much as I loved the enemy portion of Harper and Sterling's relationship, I really wanted to see more of the romance. The romance that was included was great but it was smashed into the end of the book. I want more. Like I said earlier, I really want another book now that Sterling and Harper have realized that they like one another. I think with the two of them, it would be so much fun.
Harper is a good sister. Sure, she is crazy and uptight, but she really cares about her brother and she would clearly do anything for him. Harper got such a bad rep in the book for being crazy, and while she did have her tendencies and she certainly went way too far a time or two, I think she was misunderstood. I really liked her, and I wished that her brother was a little better to her in the start of the story. She was constantly on his side, and it seemed like he was quick to see the worst in Harper and that bummed me out. But their dynamic got a lot better as the story went on and we got to see just how deep the stuff her brother was involved in. Then everything made a lot more sense.
Bottom line: Why I Loathe Sterling Lane was a fun, antics and prank filled enemies romance that I stayed up late into the night to finish. I really enjoyed this one. It was a little over the top at times, but it was always a lot of fun. There was a great romance thrown in but it doesn't develop until pretty late in the story, so just hang on and wait for it. I would love to see another book in the series featuring Harper and Sterling. They are truly a perfect match.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is the story of Harper and Sterling. It is told from Harper's point of view. Harper lives her life by a crazy, and rigid set of rules. Sterling Lane comes blowing into her life and throws all of her rules into chaos. I got a total kick out of Harper and Sterling. They were so similar it was kind of scary. I liked that they recognized that in one another as well. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Sterling turns to Harper after she just executed her revenge prank, and instead of getting mad he said, well I'm surprised. I had no idea we would be friends. It just cracked me up because they totally loved riling each other up, and watching them admit that to themselves was great.
There were a couple of things that irked me about the book. The first was the cover model. I love the cover of Why I Loathe Sterling Lane, but the young lady did not match the description of Harper and that bugged me. Harper is supposed to have very short choppy dark hair and green eyes. The girl on the cover has medium brown long and brown eyes. I just wished the cover artist did a better job matching, but other than that the cover is beautiful. It is very much a style that I love. The second thing was as much as I loved the enemy portion of Harper and Sterling's relationship, I really wanted to see more of the romance. The romance that was included was great but it was smashed into the end of the book. I want more. Like I said earlier, I really want another book now that Sterling and Harper have realized that they like one another. I think with the two of them, it would be so much fun.
Harper is a good sister. Sure, she is crazy and uptight, but she really cares about her brother and she would clearly do anything for him. Harper got such a bad rep in the book for being crazy, and while she did have her tendencies and she certainly went way too far a time or two, I think she was misunderstood. I really liked her, and I wished that her brother was a little better to her in the start of the story. She was constantly on his side, and it seemed like he was quick to see the worst in Harper and that bummed me out. But their dynamic got a lot better as the story went on and we got to see just how deep the stuff her brother was involved in. Then everything made a lot more sense.
Bottom line: Why I Loathe Sterling Lane was a fun, antics and prank filled enemies romance that I stayed up late into the night to finish. I really enjoyed this one. It was a little over the top at times, but it was always a lot of fun. There was a great romance thrown in but it doesn't develop until pretty late in the story, so just hang on and wait for it. I would love to see another book in the series featuring Harper and Sterling. They are truly a perfect match.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Finding You by Jo Watson is the third book in the Destination Love series. I have not read any of the previous novels in this series, but Finding You was so much fun that now I want to. Each of the novels in the Destination Love series can be read as total standalones. I don't even think there is any character overlap, which is nice because they are true standalones that way. Finding You is the story of Jane, who goes to Greece in search of her birth father.
Jane basically has a name and an occupation, and nothing else to go on. She even picks the part of Greece randomly and sets off. Which is crazy, in my opinion and totally unlike the character of the Jane I got to know. (Which she readily admits is true.) Jane was a hoot and a half. I loved her and all of her quirks! She is a successful dentist and she knows trivia about all sorts of topics, and she can't seem to help but spout her fun facts wherever she goes. I am with Dimitri, I think she is adorable.
And let's talk about Dimitri for a minute. I mean is he not the epitome of a vacation fantasy. I mean part of what makes Finding You so fun is that it is like finding a prince charming. Jane goes off to Greece and finds a tall dark and handsome Greek model/tour guide/all around great guy. How good can it get? Jane has all the luck in this story. But she makes the story charming and hilarious because she is a little bit of a hot mess. The comedy aspect of Finding You is what made me love this story so much. The Greek setting was perfect for the romance in Finding You but the characters are what won me over. Dimitri is such a great guy. I loved how attentive and awesome he was with Jane, and Jane is my girl. I just loved her.
Bottom line: If you are looking to be swept away in a beautiful Greek romance with tons of humorous encounters and scenes along the way, you need to check out Finding You by Jo Watson. I really enjoyed this novel.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Finding You by Jo Watson is the third book in the Destination Love series. I have not read any of the previous novels in this series, but Finding You was so much fun that now I want to. Each of the novels in the Destination Love series can be read as total standalones. I don't even think there is any character overlap, which is nice because they are true standalones that way. Finding You is the story of Jane, who goes to Greece in search of her birth father.
Jane basically has a name and an occupation, and nothing else to go on. She even picks the part of Greece randomly and sets off. Which is crazy, in my opinion and totally unlike the character of the Jane I got to know. (Which she readily admits is true.) Jane was a hoot and a half. I loved her and all of her quirks! She is a successful dentist and she knows trivia about all sorts of topics, and she can't seem to help but spout her fun facts wherever she goes. I am with Dimitri, I think she is adorable.
And let's talk about Dimitri for a minute. I mean is he not the epitome of a vacation fantasy. I mean part of what makes Finding You so fun is that it is like finding a prince charming. Jane goes off to Greece and finds a tall dark and handsome Greek model/tour guide/all around great guy. How good can it get? Jane has all the luck in this story. But she makes the story charming and hilarious because she is a little bit of a hot mess. The comedy aspect of Finding You is what made me love this story so much. The Greek setting was perfect for the romance in Finding You but the characters are what won me over. Dimitri is such a great guy. I loved how attentive and awesome he was with Jane, and Jane is my girl. I just loved her.
Bottom line: If you are looking to be swept away in a beautiful Greek romance with tons of humorous encounters and scenes along the way, you need to check out Finding You by Jo Watson. I really enjoyed this novel.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Talk British to Me is the first book in the Wherever you Go series by author Robin Bielman. I have really enjoyed a lot of Robin's other books, so I was pretty set on reading this one when it came out. But then I read the summary for it and I was totally hooked. An American man that poses as a British dating guy to stay anonymous for his popular dating talk show. And a young lady who has a huge crush on said british talk show host, but meets the american version in real life and non-dating hijinks ensue. Umm, yes please!
Talk British to Me is told in dual narrative between Teague and Mateo. I really liked both of the main characters a lot. We got to know them each really well and I loved the slow burn of their relationship. They are great friends first and foremost, even if Mateo wanted to date her pretty much from day one. Well, maybe date is not the right word...
Teague is great. I loved that interwoven with the whole romance aspect of the story was Teague working for Mateo's mother- a very highly sought after wedding planner. That aspect of the story had a Devil Wears Prada kind of vibe going on that I really enjoyed. But the main focus was very character driven with our couple to be. I loved how lighthearted and fun the story was. I very much enjoyed their journey, their friendship and their banter. I didn't want their story to end. I think the series is going to be a group of interconnected standalones, each one focusing on a different couple. This is a model that will work well for Teague and Mateo's two groups of friends.
The only think I wish Talk British to Me had a little more of was the whole radio show host aspect. There wasn't much, if any, off air british talking. I would have liked for Mateo's two lives to have intersected a little more. A close call or two of him being found out would have been a lot of fun, especially if it involved Teague almost finding out. But sadly, that was not the case. It was very drama free, and largely stress free for Mateo in that regard.
Bottom line: Talk British To Me was a light hearted, fun summer romance that I gobbled up in one sitting. I really enjoyed this character driven story and I think you will too. If you are an old fan of Robin Bielman, you won't want to miss this novel, and if you are new to her work Talk British to Me is a fun sexy romance that you will want to check out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Talk British to Me is the first book in the Wherever you Go series by author Robin Bielman. I have really enjoyed a lot of Robin's other books, so I was pretty set on reading this one when it came out. But then I read the summary for it and I was totally hooked. An American man that poses as a British dating guy to stay anonymous for his popular dating talk show. And a young lady who has a huge crush on said british talk show host, but meets the american version in real life and non-dating hijinks ensue. Umm, yes please!
Talk British to Me is told in dual narrative between Teague and Mateo. I really liked both of the main characters a lot. We got to know them each really well and I loved the slow burn of their relationship. They are great friends first and foremost, even if Mateo wanted to date her pretty much from day one. Well, maybe date is not the right word...
Teague is great. I loved that interwoven with the whole romance aspect of the story was Teague working for Mateo's mother- a very highly sought after wedding planner. That aspect of the story had a Devil Wears Prada kind of vibe going on that I really enjoyed. But the main focus was very character driven with our couple to be. I loved how lighthearted and fun the story was. I very much enjoyed their journey, their friendship and their banter. I didn't want their story to end. I think the series is going to be a group of interconnected standalones, each one focusing on a different couple. This is a model that will work well for Teague and Mateo's two groups of friends.
The only think I wish Talk British to Me had a little more of was the whole radio show host aspect. There wasn't much, if any, off air british talking. I would have liked for Mateo's two lives to have intersected a little more. A close call or two of him being found out would have been a lot of fun, especially if it involved Teague almost finding out. But sadly, that was not the case. It was very drama free, and largely stress free for Mateo in that regard.
Bottom line: Talk British To Me was a light hearted, fun summer romance that I gobbled up in one sitting. I really enjoyed this character driven story and I think you will too. If you are an old fan of Robin Bielman, you won't want to miss this novel, and if you are new to her work Talk British to Me is a fun sexy romance that you will want to check out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
My Thoughts
Checkmate: This is Dangerous is the fifth book in the Checkmate series and the first book in the duet about Logan and Kayla. The checkmate series is by the fantastic writing duo known as Kennedy Fox. No one seems to know the identity of this mysterious author duo, but I am offering a reward of endless sprinkle donuts if someone can tell me who they are. I promise, I am very good at keeping a secret. ;) ;) I read, and totally LOVED loved loved all of the Checkmate stories. Books 1 and 2 are Viola and Travis' story, and books 3 and 4 are Drew and Courtney's story, and books 5 and 6 are Logan and Kayla's story. You can read any one of the duets first, but they are all so wonderful, you are going to want to read them all! So if you are new to the series, I recommend reading them all in order.
This is Dangerous was a fantastic read, but it will leave you right on the edge of your seat at the end. Kennedy Fox is well known for their killer cliff hangers, and I have to say this one surprised me. I thought I knew where it was going to go, but then it took a crazy left turn. I am so anxious to get my hands on the next book. I feel like I say this all the time, but I think Kayla and Logan are my favorite couple yet. I just love the two of them. Kayla is seriously the nicest person ever. I love her love of dogs. Watching her rescue Herman secured her place in my favorite human beings list for my book friends. And Logan is always coming to her rescue like the knight that he is. I heart the heck out of them.
One of my favorite things about Kennedy Fox is that they write couples that you root for so hard. They are all swoonworthy, and they are all great together. I will say we don't see a ton of Travis and Viola in this book. They make some appearances, but we do see more of Courtney. I want to see even more of Courtney and Drew in the next book. I love the two of them so much. Honestly, my only complaint with this book was that it wasn't long enough. I also didn't love that the hot vet just kind of disappeared from the story line (I might be the only one campaigning to see more of him in the next book, but I think that would be fun. Plus, I genuinely like him. I wouldn't mind him getting his own duet!)
Logan and Kayla will have you swooning hard, right from the very start. They are already friends, and Kayla has made it known that she wishes they were more, but Logan has always held back. I really liked the progression of their story. I felt like they grew closer and closer a the various events kept bringing them into each other's lives. I tried so hard to figure out where Kennedy started and stopped and where Fox picked up, but I couldn't tell. Not once. This is one seemless author duo people. I can't get enough of them. They make romances that I want to binge read and they write characters that I want to be friends with. And I can't ask for much more than that!
If you are a character driven reader who loves sexy romances that will have you addicted faster than you even realize, you need to read the Checkmate series. This is one you will want to binge read...trust me. Kennedy Fox has this knack for writing the best characters that have the best chemistry. Everyone needs to be reading the Checkmate series. Everyone. It is one of my favorites. Logan and Kayla are giving Drew and Courtney a run for their money. I didn't think it would be possible but this is a series that keeps getting better for me! I can't wait to see what this author duo has in store for us next.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
My Thoughts
Checkmate: This is Dangerous is the fifth book in the Checkmate series and the first book in the duet about Logan and Kayla. The checkmate series is by the fantastic writing duo known as Kennedy Fox. No one seems to know the identity of this mysterious author duo, but I am offering a reward of endless sprinkle donuts if someone can tell me who they are. I promise, I am very good at keeping a secret. ;) ;) I read, and totally LOVED loved loved all of the Checkmate stories. Books 1 and 2 are Viola and Travis' story, and books 3 and 4 are Drew and Courtney's story, and books 5 and 6 are Logan and Kayla's story. You can read any one of the duets first, but they are all so wonderful, you are going to want to read them all! So if you are new to the series, I recommend reading them all in order.
This is Dangerous was a fantastic read, but it will leave you right on the edge of your seat at the end. Kennedy Fox is well known for their killer cliff hangers, and I have to say this one surprised me. I thought I knew where it was going to go, but then it took a crazy left turn. I am so anxious to get my hands on the next book. I feel like I say this all the time, but I think Kayla and Logan are my favorite couple yet. I just love the two of them. Kayla is seriously the nicest person ever. I love her love of dogs. Watching her rescue Herman secured her place in my favorite human beings list for my book friends. And Logan is always coming to her rescue like the knight that he is. I heart the heck out of them.
One of my favorite things about Kennedy Fox is that they write couples that you root for so hard. They are all swoonworthy, and they are all great together. I will say we don't see a ton of Travis and Viola in this book. They make some appearances, but we do see more of Courtney. I want to see even more of Courtney and Drew in the next book. I love the two of them so much. Honestly, my only complaint with this book was that it wasn't long enough. I also didn't love that the hot vet just kind of disappeared from the story line (I might be the only one campaigning to see more of him in the next book, but I think that would be fun. Plus, I genuinely like him. I wouldn't mind him getting his own duet!)
Logan and Kayla will have you swooning hard, right from the very start. They are already friends, and Kayla has made it known that she wishes they were more, but Logan has always held back. I really liked the progression of their story. I felt like they grew closer and closer a the various events kept bringing them into each other's lives. I tried so hard to figure out where Kennedy started and stopped and where Fox picked up, but I couldn't tell. Not once. This is one seemless author duo people. I can't get enough of them. They make romances that I want to binge read and they write characters that I want to be friends with. And I can't ask for much more than that!
If you are a character driven reader who loves sexy romances that will have you addicted faster than you even realize, you need to read the Checkmate series. This is one you will want to binge read...trust me. Kennedy Fox has this knack for writing the best characters that have the best chemistry. Everyone needs to be reading the Checkmate series. Everyone. It is one of my favorites. Logan and Kayla are giving Drew and Courtney a run for their money. I didn't think it would be possible but this is a series that keeps getting better for me! I can't wait to see what this author duo has in store for us next.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Summer Before Forever is the first book in the before forever series by author Melissa Chambers. The books are all interconnected standalones. I have read and really enjoyed both of the books in the series, but my favorite book was the first one. I just loved Chloe. She was by far my favorite character. It was so great watching her summer transformation. It didn't feel cheesy or forced; it felt natural. And it was a ton of fun.
In The Summer Before Forever, Chloe goes to spend the summer with her dad, his fiance and her soon to be new step-brother, Landon. I really, really loved Landon at the start of the story and at the end of the story. He got to be a bit much for me at about the 75% mark because I thought he was acting a little crazy, but I get it- Chloe is pretty awesome. But he won be back over again very quickly. Chloe is pretty much dreading the summer because things have been tense between her and her dad, so she brings her best friend Jenna along. Jenna is the main character of the second book in the series, Falling for Forever. And she is a larger than life personality. She cracks me up. I loved seeing her as Chloe's best friend first before I saw her in her own story. She is a lot, but it is so clear that she would do anything for her friends. Chloe and Jenna are an odd pair, but I really love their friendship.
The Summer Before Forever was a feel good read from start to finish. I love that Melissa Chambers picked a learning disability that I had never heard of before. I learned a lot about Dyscalculia, which is a learning disorder that affects the way numbers are processed in the brain. I found this to be a fascinating pick, not only academically, but also for things in Landon's every day life, not to mention how it affected his ability to play football at a college level. Melissa Chambers clearly did a lot of research to make everything seem realistic, and she brought up many points that I hadn't even considered. I actually really loved that aspect of Landon and how it all played out.
And finally, let's talk about the romance in The Summer Before Forever. I freakin' love Chloe and Landon. looooove them! I loved how Landon was fascinated by Chloe right from the very start, and he was unwavering. I liked how Chloe was a bit reserved, but her progression with Landon was super adorable and heartfelt. This book, and this series, is the perfect summer read. Pick it up for a beach day, a pool day, or even a rainy day in bed. Just read the Before Forever series. It will put a smile on your face.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
In The Summer Before Forever, Chloe goes to spend the summer with her dad, his fiance and her soon to be new step-brother, Landon. I really, really loved Landon at the start of the story and at the end of the story. He got to be a bit much for me at about the 75% mark because I thought he was acting a little crazy, but I get it- Chloe is pretty awesome. But he won be back over again very quickly. Chloe is pretty much dreading the summer because things have been tense between her and her dad, so she brings her best friend Jenna along. Jenna is the main character of the second book in the series, Falling for Forever. And she is a larger than life personality. She cracks me up. I loved seeing her as Chloe's best friend first before I saw her in her own story. She is a lot, but it is so clear that she would do anything for her friends. Chloe and Jenna are an odd pair, but I really love their friendship.
The Summer Before Forever was a feel good read from start to finish. I love that Melissa Chambers picked a learning disability that I had never heard of before. I learned a lot about Dyscalculia, which is a learning disorder that affects the way numbers are processed in the brain. I found this to be a fascinating pick, not only academically, but also for things in Landon's every day life, not to mention how it affected his ability to play football at a college level. Melissa Chambers clearly did a lot of research to make everything seem realistic, and she brought up many points that I hadn't even considered. I actually really loved that aspect of Landon and how it all played out.
And finally, let's talk about the romance in The Summer Before Forever. I freakin' love Chloe and Landon. looooove them! I loved how Landon was fascinated by Chloe right from the very start, and he was unwavering. I liked how Chloe was a bit reserved, but her progression with Landon was super adorable and heartfelt. This book, and this series, is the perfect summer read. Pick it up for a beach day, a pool day, or even a rainy day in bed. Just read the Before Forever series. It will put a smile on your face.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Summer Before Forever is the first book in the before forever series by author Melissa Chambers. The books are all interconnected standalones. I have read and really enjoyed both of the books in the series, but my favorite book was the first one. I just loved Chloe. She was by far my favorite character. It was so great watching her summer transformation. It didn't feel cheesy or forced; it felt natural. And it was a ton of fun.
In The Summer Before Forever, Chloe goes to spend the summer with her dad, his fiance and her soon to be new step-brother, Landon. I really, really loved Landon at the start of the story and at the end of the story. He got to be a bit much for me at about the 75% mark because I thought he was acting a little crazy, but I get it- Chloe is pretty awesome. But he won be back over again very quickly. Chloe is pretty much dreading the summer because things have been tense between her and her dad, so she brings her best friend Jenna along. Jenna is the main character of the second book in the series, Falling for Forever. And she is a larger than life personality. She cracks me up. I loved seeing her as Chloe's best friend first before I saw her in her own story. She is a lot, but it is so clear that she would do anything for her friends. Chloe and Jenna are an odd pair, but I really love their friendship.
The Summer Before Forever was a feel good read from start to finish. I love that Melissa Chambers picked a learning disability that I had never heard of before. I learned a lot about Dyscalculia, which is a learning disorder that affects the way numbers are processed in the brain. I found this to be a fascinating pick, not only academically, but also for things in Landon's every day life, not to mention how it affected his ability to play football at a college level. Melissa Chambers clearly did a lot of research to make everything seem realistic, and she brought up many points that I hadn't even considered. I actually really loved that aspect of Landon and how it all played out.
And finally, let's talk about the romance in The Summer Before Forever. I freakin' love Chloe and Landon. looooove them! I loved how Landon was fascinated by Chloe right from the very start, and he was unwavering. I liked how Chloe was a bit reserved, but her progression with Landon was super adorable and heartfelt. This book, and this series, is the perfect summer read. Pick it up for a beach day, a pool day, or even a rainy day in bed. Just read the Before Forever series. It will put a smile on your face.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
In The Summer Before Forever, Chloe goes to spend the summer with her dad, his fiance and her soon to be new step-brother, Landon. I really, really loved Landon at the start of the story and at the end of the story. He got to be a bit much for me at about the 75% mark because I thought he was acting a little crazy, but I get it- Chloe is pretty awesome. But he won be back over again very quickly. Chloe is pretty much dreading the summer because things have been tense between her and her dad, so she brings her best friend Jenna along. Jenna is the main character of the second book in the series, Falling for Forever. And she is a larger than life personality. She cracks me up. I loved seeing her as Chloe's best friend first before I saw her in her own story. She is a lot, but it is so clear that she would do anything for her friends. Chloe and Jenna are an odd pair, but I really love their friendship.
The Summer Before Forever was a feel good read from start to finish. I love that Melissa Chambers picked a learning disability that I had never heard of before. I learned a lot about Dyscalculia, which is a learning disorder that affects the way numbers are processed in the brain. I found this to be a fascinating pick, not only academically, but also for things in Landon's every day life, not to mention how it affected his ability to play football at a college level. Melissa Chambers clearly did a lot of research to make everything seem realistic, and she brought up many points that I hadn't even considered. I actually really loved that aspect of Landon and how it all played out.
And finally, let's talk about the romance in The Summer Before Forever. I freakin' love Chloe and Landon. looooove them! I loved how Landon was fascinated by Chloe right from the very start, and he was unwavering. I liked how Chloe was a bit reserved, but her progression with Landon was super adorable and heartfelt. This book, and this series, is the perfect summer read. Pick it up for a beach day, a pool day, or even a rainy day in bed. Just read the Before Forever series. It will put a smile on your face.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Witchtown is a standalone young adult supernatural by author Cory Putman Oakes. I think Witchtown would appeal to both young adult readers as well as middle grade readers. It is young adult, but it is on the younger end and the romance is very light and age appropriate, so all ages of witchy fans can enjoy Witchtown. This is the first book I have read from Mrs. Oakes and I have to say I really, really enjoyed it. I completely forgot that this book was going to be about a mother daughter con team. (very light emphasis on the word team.) Does that ever happen to you? I read the summary a while ago when I decided to sign up for the blog tour, and then forgot all about it until I picked up the book to read it for my review. And I never go back and read the summaries. It is more fun for me that way. So I was super excited when I saw that Macie and her mother, Aubra were looking to rob Witchtown blind.
But then the story took a completely different path and I was even more excited in the direction Cory Putman Oakes decided to take Witchtown in. This book was even better than I was expecting it to be. I flew through it. I think it only took me 2 1/2 hours to read, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Witchtown is part con, part mystery with a very light touch of romance and friendship added in. It was a very fun read. Macie was a delight. I don't want to give too much away because there were quite a few twists in this book that managed to surprise me, and I want you to have that same pleasure.
I will say this about Witchtown. The mother daughter dynamic completely surprised me. I thought that Macie and her mom were going to get along really well, but that was not the case at all. Macie and Aubra are completely at odds during the whole story, which added an unexpected element to the plot line. I actually loved the way everything turned out. I thought Cory did an excellent job crafting a fast paced, enjoyable tale. I also really loved the friendship element of the story. Tayla was my favorite character in the whole book, and I would love to see a companion novel from her point of view. I think she is pretty awesome!
Bottom line: If you are looking for a young adult standalone with lots of fast paced witchy fun, Witchtown is a fantastic quick read for readers of all ages. I really enjoyed this novel.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
But then the story took a completely different path and I was even more excited in the direction Cory Putman Oakes decided to take Witchtown in. This book was even better than I was expecting it to be. I flew through it. I think it only took me 2 1/2 hours to read, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Witchtown is part con, part mystery with a very light touch of romance and friendship added in. It was a very fun read. Macie was a delight. I don't want to give too much away because there were quite a few twists in this book that managed to surprise me, and I want you to have that same pleasure.
I will say this about Witchtown. The mother daughter dynamic completely surprised me. I thought that Macie and her mom were going to get along really well, but that was not the case at all. Macie and Aubra are completely at odds during the whole story, which added an unexpected element to the plot line. I actually loved the way everything turned out. I thought Cory did an excellent job crafting a fast paced, enjoyable tale. I also really loved the friendship element of the story. Tayla was my favorite character in the whole book, and I would love to see a companion novel from her point of view. I think she is pretty awesome!
Bottom line: If you are looking for a young adult standalone with lots of fast paced witchy fun, Witchtown is a fantastic quick read for readers of all ages. I really enjoyed this novel.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Perfectly Imperfect Match is the third book in the young adult contemporary romance series, called the Suttonville Senitels by Kendra C. Highley. I love that this series centers around the baseball team. It is a series formula that works so well with me, but before the Suttonville Sentiels I had only seen it done in the adult sports romance world, so I love that there is a young adult series that is doing something similar. I read and LOVED The Bad Boy Bargain and Swinging at Love, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. This series is a welcome smash hit for me! And Perfectly Imperfect Match is a great addition to the series.
Just like all of the previous books in this series, Perfectly Imperfect Match is chock full of cuteness. That is the best way to describe it. It is like a smile in a box. All of the books in this series are actually. Perfectly Imperfect Match is the story of Dylan and Luck. I liked this couple a lot, but I still think Faith and Kyle were my favorite couple but I adored them so much that it is hard to come close. Dylan is super rigid with everything in his life. Watching him with Lucy was tons of fun for me. They were both so different. Their story had a bit of a slower start for me, character wise, than the previous two books in the series, but once I got to know them a little better I really enjoyed them.
Perfectly Imperfect Match is a quick, light and fluffy read. There is not too much in the way of drama or roadblocks. It was perfect for a pool read. I finished it in one quick afternoon. If you are looking for a book that has a little drama and more meat (in that direction) to its' bones, this might not be the book for you, but if you are looking for a quick young adult romance that is super cute check out Perfectly Imperfect Match and the Suttonville Sentinels series. I loved the mature, yet still age appropriate, characters featured in this extra cute romance.
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This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Just like all of the previous books in this series, Perfectly Imperfect Match is chock full of cuteness. That is the best way to describe it. It is like a smile in a box. All of the books in this series are actually. Perfectly Imperfect Match is the story of Dylan and Luck. I liked this couple a lot, but I still think Faith and Kyle were my favorite couple but I adored them so much that it is hard to come close. Dylan is super rigid with everything in his life. Watching him with Lucy was tons of fun for me. They were both so different. Their story had a bit of a slower start for me, character wise, than the previous two books in the series, but once I got to know them a little better I really enjoyed them.
Perfectly Imperfect Match is a quick, light and fluffy read. There is not too much in the way of drama or roadblocks. It was perfect for a pool read. I finished it in one quick afternoon. If you are looking for a book that has a little drama and more meat (in that direction) to its' bones, this might not be the book for you, but if you are looking for a quick young adult romance that is super cute check out Perfectly Imperfect Match and the Suttonville Sentinels series. I loved the mature, yet still age appropriate, characters featured in this extra cute romance.
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This review was originally posted on Book Briefs